’Rabbits reclaim Bell

VICTORVILLE • After five years of waiting, the Bell is finally back in Victorville, painted green.

Victor Valley beat Apple Valley 20-17 on Friday night in the annual Bell Game to snap its five-year losing streak in the second-oldest rivalry in the area.

Jackrabbits head coach Leland Eudy said the team would dedicate the victory to Mike Mines, their former offensive coordinator who passed away last November.

"It's been five years," Eudy said. "Our kids have been putting up with a lot of adversity, and this year they worked hard and they deserve to win this one."

The game was almost as close as last year's, in which the Sun Devils edged the Jackrabbits 29-28.

Trailing 17-14, the Jackrabbits started a drive from their own 39-yard line near the end of the third quarter. They brought the ball down to the Apple Valley 6, helped by J.W. Morgan's 35 rushing yards. Morgan then capped the drive with a touchdown pass from Nathan Burnaman to go ahead 20-17 with 10:27 left.

The Sun Devils couldn't convert a fourth down on the following drive at the Victor Valley 43, and the Jackrabbits ran the clock down to 1:27 with an 11-play drive. Apple Valley had a chance to get the ball back at 6:05 when the Jackrabbits were forced to punt on fourth-and-4 at their 49, but the Sun Devils were penalized for an illegal substitution.

"I believe that penalties just killed us in the end again," Apple Valley head coach Frank Pulice said.

Apple Valley jumped out to a 10-0 lead on Travis Chapman's 27-yard field goal and Justin Brookshire's 10-yard touchdown pass to Shaun Golike and kept the lead until the fourth. In the first half, the Jackrabbits had just 48 passing yards and 25 rushing yards on 16 plays.

Victor Valley, however, remained in the game with some big plays. Jordan Calhoun returned a punt 98 yards for a touchdown on the final play of the first quarter.

Apple Valley made it 17-7 on Daryon Mosley's 12-yard touchdown run. But the Jackrabbits responded with less than 30 seconds left in the first half when Burnaman tossed a lateral to Bryan Boyd, and Boyd threw a 26-yard pass into the end zone to Calhoun, who made a diving catch.

"Last year, I told myself it can't happen no more," Calhoun said. "It's been too close for us."

Calhoun said he played for Mines and teammate Marquee Cooper, who was taken to the hospital in an ambulance with an ankle injury on Victor Valley's first possession of the night.

Victor Valley travels to Sultana next Friday, while Apple Valley goes Down the Hill to take on San Bernardino.